Inspired by Thomas de Quicney's Suspiria de Profundis and co-written by Argento and his long term partner Daria Nicolodi, SUSPIRIA is Argento's undisputed masterpiece of Grand Guignol horror, hitting new peaks of terror through its stunning photography, eye-popping production design and terrifying atmosphere of dread and death. Suzy Bannion is an American ballet student, travelling to Germany to study at an exclusive dance academy in the Black Forest. After one of the students and her friend are hideously murdered in the first of Argento's breath-catching set-piece killings, Suzy discovers that the academy has a bizarre history and, as the body count rises, she gets involved in a hideous labyrinth of murder, black magic and madness.

Dario Argento’s kaleidoscopic classic Suspiria is not set in our world. It takes place in a world of vibrant expressionism – of harsh reds, blues, yellows and greens; of imposing...moreand fantastical architecture and labyrinthine interiors. It’s a world where a heavy rainstorm means that sinister forces are at work and maggots in the attic mean that something ugly is lurking just beyond the pretty surfaces. Making only as much sense as it needs to, the film is a modern-day fairy tale of the darkest variety and more than earns its reputation as one of the creative peaks of Italian horror, as well as ‘70s horror in general.
Harper plays Suzy Banyon, a naïve young American ballet student who begins the film arriving in Munich one ominously windy night to enrol in a prestigious dance academy. At the entrance of the academy, she briefly crosses paths with one Pat Hingle, an expelled student seen leaving in fear. When Pat is gruesomely murdered that same night, it provokes Suzy and fellow student Sarah (Stefania Casini) to investigate. As they piece together the many shady occurrences in and around the academy, Suzy gradually comes to the realisation that the school is home to a great evil of the supernatural kind.\\r\ From a narrative perspective, much of the film consists of a series of puzzles to be solved and clues to be interpreted, suggesting that Argento wasn’t entirely ready to leave the Italian crime subgenre of giallo behind. The character of Sarah in particular is written with a flair for interpreting unusual sounds, be it working out that the school director is in the building from the sound of her snoring or determining with a little help from Suzy where the academy staff members go every evening by listening to their footsteps.
Meanwhile, Suzy’s first clue comes in the form of two key words she overhears from Pat and, in true Argento fashion, the solution is hidden in plain sight for the viewer to spot. So it would be evident from the script alone that Argento has a genuine interest in the acts of hearing and seeing but his curiosity becomes fully justified once you actually listen to and look at this film. Prog rock band Goblin provide one of the all-time great horror soundtracks, ranging from the music box creepiness of the main theme to the overwhelming assaults on the senses that accompany the more intense set pieces. Combining this with the film’s astonishing set design and surreal lighting, Suspiria has the claustrophobic atmosphere of a nightmare that the viewer is trapped in. Evil feels ever present and terrifyingly powerful. It seems fitting to the film’s fairy tale influence that the only way out of the surrogate enchanted castle for Suspiria’s own princess Suzy is to solve the riddles and follow the clues.
Dario Argento undoubtedly raised the bar for death sequences with his operatic, elaborate set pieces. In this sense, the impact of his best film is clear in the convoluted murder scenes of such popular franchises as Saw and especially A Nightmare on Elm Street. But the importance and originality of the film runs deeper than this. It’s an often ghastly and grotesque film but just about any given frame of it could be hung in a gallery because it’s executed with a formal brilliance that blurs the line between high art and sadistic schlock. It’s a film that provides a consistent onslaught of visual gut-punches all while deviously working its way into your subconscious. In its blending of the cleverly subtle and the brazenly unsubtle, Suspiria becomes a disorienting and menacing work that drops you into a strange, twisted reality for you to desperately fend for yourself. It just might be the horror film in its purest form.

Dario Argento’s kaleidoscopic classic Suspiria is not set in our world. It takes place in a world of vibrant expressionism – of harsh reds, blues, yellows and greens; of imposing and fantastical architecture and labyrinthine interiors. It’s a world where a heavy rainstorm means that sinister forces are at work and maggots in the attic mean that something ugly is lurking just beyond the pretty surfaces. Making only as much sense as it needs to, the film is a modern-day fairy tale of the darkest variety and more than earns its reputation as one of the creative peaks of Italian horror, as well as ‘70s horror in general.
Harper plays Suzy Banyon, a naïve young American ballet student who begins the film arriving in Munich one ominously windy night to enrol in a prestigious dance academy. At the entrance of the academy, she briefly crosses paths with one Pat Hingle, an expelled student seen leaving in fear. When Pat is gruesomely murdered that same night, it provokes Suzy and fellow student Sarah (Stefania Casini) to investigate. As they piece together the many shady occurrences in and around the academy, Suzy gradually comes to the realisation that the school is home to a great evil of the supernatural kind.\\r\\n From a narrative perspective, much of the film consists of a series of puzzles to be solved and clues to be interpreted, suggesting that Argento wasn’t entirely ready to leave the Italian crime subgenre of giallo behind. The character of Sarah in particular is written with a flair for interpreting unusual sounds, be it working out that the school director is in the building from the sound of her snoring or determining with a little help from Suzy where the academy staff members go every evening by listening to their footsteps.
Meanwhile, Suzy’s first clue comes in the form of two key words she overhears from Pat and, in true Argento fashion, the solution is hidden in plain sight for the viewer to spot. So it would be evident from the script alone that Argento has a genuine interest in the acts of hearing and seeing but his curiosity becomes fully justified once you actually listen to and look at this film. Prog rock band Goblin provide one of the all-time great horror soundtracks, ranging from the music box creepiness of the main theme to the overwhelming assaults on the senses that accompany the more intense set pieces. Combining this with the film’s astonishing set design and surreal lighting, Suspiria has the claustrophobic atmosphere of a nightmare that the viewer is trapped in. Evil feels ever present and terrifyingly powerful. It seems fitting to the film’s fairy tale influence that the only way out of the surrogate enchanted castle for Suspiria’s own princess Suzy is to solve the riddles and follow the clues.
Dario Argento undoubtedly raised the bar for death sequences with his operatic, elaborate set pieces. In this sense, the impact of his best film is clear in the convoluted murder scenes of such popular franchises as Saw and especially A Nightmare on Elm Street. But the importance and originality of the film runs deeper than this. It’s an often ghastly and grotesque film but just about any given frame of it could be hung in a gallery because it’s executed with a formal brilliance that blurs the line between high art and sadistic schlock. It’s a film that provides a consistent onslaught of visual gut-punches all while deviously working its way into your subconscious. In its blending of the cleverly subtle and the brazenly unsubtle, Suspiria becomes a disorienting and menacing work that drops you into a strange, twisted reality for you to desperately fend for yourself. It just might be the horror film in its purest form.

Argento's chef d'oeuvre. A truly mind-blowing and terrifying descent into the occult - there hasn't been a film like it and I sincerely hope all those remake rumours are untrue!...moreSee it... if you dare!

Argento's chef d'oeuvre. A truly mind-blowing and terrifying descent into the occult - there hasn't been a film like it and I sincerely hope all those remake rumours are untrue! See it... if you dare!

Suspiria is the first film in Dario Argento's Three Mothers trilogy. It was followed up by the uneven but excellent Inferno (1980) and completed with the pretty bad Mother of...moreTears (2007). Suspiria, however, is the classic. With this movie Argento moved away from his giallo roots into pure horror. Having said that this is a supernatural horror film with gialloesque elements. For one thing, the murders are committed with the assailants off-screen keeping their identity a secret in the manner of the giallo. Secondly, the protagonist recalls a half-remembered, vital clue at the climax of the movie that proves crucial in uncovering the mystery. This was a device that Argento used in several of his other gialli before and after Suspiria. But in stylistic terms, this film was a considerable leap forward. The look is resolutely unrealistic. Argento's use of coloured lighting is the most obvious factor that makes the world of Suspiria so strange and artificial. He clearly took his cue from the 60's movies of Mario Bava which were also colourful in a similarly impressive way. The intense colours contribute to the idea of Suspiria resembling some kind of a nightmare. It all looks extremely impressive throughout thanks in large part to the beautiful cinematography by Luciano Tovoli.

Suspiria is a fairy-tale for adults. When originally conceived the schoolgirls were much younger teens. Unsurprisingly given the violent content it was decided that this would just be too problematic and the age of the girls was increased. However, you will notice that they often act in child-like ways as if they are still playing the parts of younger girls. Not only this but Argento added details like handles on doors positioned higher than normal meaning the girls seem smaller when reaching up to use them. In general, the gaudy décor and the Tans Academy building itself are menacing. The building and décor create an uneasy feeling all by themselves. The atmosphere throughout the movie is perhaps the greatest thing about it. Right from the wondrous opening this is a film full of menace and a feeling of that something just isn't right. We follow the lead character Suzy Banyon from arrival in Freiberg airport via a taxi journey to the Tans Academy dance school in the middle of a rain storm. In this brilliant opening it becomes clear that one of the things that marks out the genius of Argento is in the way he can make the most ordinary everyday objects seem completely threatening. Automatic doors and night fountains suddenly become strangely sinister in the world he creates.

It would be impossible, however, to discuss the merits of Suspiria without making reference to its soundtrack. Italian prog-rock group Goblin had already worked with Argento before, providing an excellent score to Deep Red (1975). But here with Suspiria they really do excel themselves. It's like no other soundtrack recorded before or since. It's made up of a cacophony of disparate ideas - sighs, a sickly lullaby, hard rock, avant-garde experimentalism and thundering drums. Altogether, it's multi-layered and completely original. It works too. The music is genuinely unsettling and creepy and aligned with Argento's incredible visuals it packs a considerable punch. Suspiria is an assault to the senses aurally as well as visually.

In addition, Suspiria benefits from a great cast. Jessica Harper is excellent in the lead role. She is a very compelling presence and her subdued performance is a perfect counterpoint to the extreme events that she encounters. There are two very impressive performers in Alida Valli and Joan Bennett who both add considerable gravitas to the cast. Stefania Cassini and Udo Kier are both performers I like but unfortunately here they both are dubbed by lacking voice artists. A shame considering both actors have great, expressive voices themselves.

This is a horror movie with considerable cinematic artistic merit. As a visual and aural feast for the senses the genre has rarely came up with anything quite like this before or since.

Suspiria is the first film in Dario Argento's Three Mothers trilogy. It was followed up by the uneven but excellent Inferno (1980) and completed with the pretty bad Mother of Tears (2007). Suspiria, however, is the classic. With this movie Argento moved away from his giallo roots into pure horror. Having said that this is a supernatural horror film with gialloesque elements. For one thing, the murders are committed with the assailants off-screen keeping their identity a secret in the manner of the giallo. Secondly, the protagonist recalls a half-remembered, vital clue at the climax of the movie that proves crucial in uncovering the mystery. This was a device that Argento used in several of his other gialli before and after Suspiria. But in stylistic terms, this film was a considerable leap forward. The look is resolutely unrealistic. Argento's use of coloured lighting is the most obvious factor that makes the world of Suspiria so strange and artificial. He clearly took his cue from the 60's movies of Mario Bava which were also colourful in a similarly impressive way. The intense colours contribute to the idea of Suspiria resembling some kind of a nightmare. It all looks extremely impressive throughout thanks in large part to the beautiful cinematography by Luciano Tovoli.\r\n\r\nSuspiria is a fairy-tale for adults. When originally conceived the schoolgirls were much younger teens. Unsurprisingly given the violent content it was decided that this would just be too problematic and the age of the girls was increased. However, you will notice that they often act in child-like ways as if they are still playing the parts of younger girls. Not only this but Argento added details like handles on doors positioned higher than normal meaning the girls seem smaller when reaching up to use them. In general, the gaudy décor and the Tans Academy building itself are menacing. The building and décor create an uneasy feeling all by themselves. The atmosphere throughout the movie is perhaps the greatest thing about it. Right from the wondrous opening this is a film full of menace and a feeling of that something just isn't right. We follow the lead character Suzy Banyon from arrival in Freiberg airport via a taxi journey to the Tans Academy dance school in the middle of a rain storm. In this brilliant opening it becomes clear that one of the things that marks out the genius of Argento is in the way he can make the most ordinary everyday objects seem completely threatening. Automatic doors and night fountains suddenly become strangely sinister in the world he creates.\r\n\r\nIt would be impossible, however, to discuss the merits of Suspiria without making reference to its soundtrack. Italian prog-rock group Goblin had already worked with Argento before, providing an excellent score to Deep Red (1975). But here with Suspiria they really do excel themselves. It's like no other soundtrack recorded before or since. It's made up of a cacophony of disparate ideas - sighs, a sickly lullaby, hard rock, avant-garde experimentalism and thundering drums. Altogether, it's multi-layered and completely original. It works too. The music is genuinely unsettling and creepy and aligned with Argento's incredible visuals it packs a considerable punch. Suspiria is an assault to the senses aurally as well as visually.\r\n\r\nIn addition, Suspiria benefits from a great cast. Jessica Harper is excellent in the lead role. She is a very compelling presence and her subdued performance is a perfect counterpoint to the extreme events that she encounters. There are two very impressive performers in Alida Valli and Joan Bennett who both add considerable gravitas to the cast. Stefania Cassini and Udo Kier are both performers I like but unfortunately here they both are dubbed by lacking voice artists. A shame considering both actors have great, expressive voices themselves.\r\n\r\nThis is a horror movie with considerable cinematic artistic merit. As a visual and aural feast for the senses the genre has rarely came up with anything quite like this before or since.

I suspect that Suspiria is the most suspenseful film I have ever suseen. It's a madhouse of effects and frightened looking people. I'm never susending my daughter to a ballet...moresuschool. The lights are like some kind of crazy rave and the violent scenes are like chocolate for my eyes. I'm deducting one star because the loud noises spooked my dog but otherwise, this is susuper susensational!

I suspect that Suspiria is the most suspenseful film I have ever suseen. It's a madhouse of effects and frightened looking people. I'm never susending my daughter to a ballet suschool. The lights are like some kind of crazy rave and the violent scenes are like chocolate for my eyes. I'm deducting one star because the loud noises spooked my dog but otherwise, this is susuper susensational!